You re my heart no matter what will be
by Sebastian-Flight
Summary: Can someone without a heart , love someone without a brain? A crossover between Tin Man and The Wizard of OZ but mostly Tin Man , that shows how love can break every curse . A corny love story between the characters of Tin Man like you have never seen them before . A little bit of slash like in my previous stories but nothing over PG. Sorry the story is better than my summary


**Disclaimer**  
I do not claim any rights to the characters in this story. All rights belong to the spirit of L. Frank Baum, Sci-Fi Channel, RHI Entertainment, Whitestone Motion Pictures and Youtube. Plus: I don' t own the song either. I highly respect the owners of Tin Man and Heartless.

**Author's Note:**

A few days ago, I read some Wizard of OZ again. Not only the first original Wizard of OZ but also "The Royal Book of OZ" and after listening to various songs and watching the beautiful short-movie " Heartless the Story of the Tin Man " from Whitestone Motion Pictures (highly recommended) I got the idea to write this story. This story is a crossover between Tin Man and the Wizard of OZ. It's the same story only that Cain and Glitch are replaced by the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. But that means that some events didn´t happen. For example: They didn't look into Glitch's past, Adora and Jeb don't exist and Cain wasn't imprisoned in the Tin Suit because the Cain we know doesn't exist. But they still have to defeat the Witch and rescue Azkadellia and the O.Z.. The machine of the Witch could work without Glitch's brain and was designed by someone else. I hope that I don't confuse anyone. And I promise that there will be a love story so don't be too disappointed! My story will also include some parts taken out of the Wizard of OZ itself. I hope that the people who like the short-movie "Heartless" won't be offend of my interpretation of the movie. I hope you have much fun.

And last but not least : This was a gift to my dearest darling Aloysius. So this story is dedicated to her. Darling I hope you enjoy this story, because thanks to your encouragement and supports my stories come to life _You´re my Heart , no matter what will be_

"That's the O.Z I remember," D.G said staying outside at the balcony together with her reunited family members.

"I'm so proud of you my angel. You brought the light, our dear Azkadellia and yourself back to the O.Z," her mother flung her arms around her youngest daughter and they both shared a warm hug.

Now her sister and father joined them and the air was filled with love and joy.

"But I wouldn't have made it without my fearless friends and companions," D.G smiled and pointed to the three creatures standing at the end of the great hall, each of them smiling brightly.

"Well, Hello!" the Queen whispered in surprise as she walked down to greet her daughters companions and the Heroes of her Realm. She knew two of them .. it broke her heart to see them staring at her as if she was a stranger. She also knew that she had to pretend like she was a stranger to them and so she did.

At the end of the hall stood a viewer looking braver than any viewer the Queen had ever seen: A man made of Tin who was a bit rusty here and there and a clumsy looking Scarecrow with an odd smile.

"So you are the friends of my daughter, the princess?" the Queen asked and the creatures bowed firmly.

"Yes, your majesty," the man of Tin said, his voice sounding tinny but friendly and kind.

"I have to thank you my dear and brave men For saving the lives of my daughters and for saving the life of my beloved Realm! You don't have to bow in front of me because it's my job to bow in front of you," the Queen said with pride and bowed in front of the three blushing men (Well only the viewer could blush, since the Tin Man and the Scarecrow couldn't show affection)

"Please don't! Majesties don't bow in front of creatures like us! It was our pleasure to accompany your lovely daughter and to save her life. We should just be taken for granted," the Scarecrow said feeling uncomfortable .

"But you're Heroes!" D.G interrupted the excuse of the Scarecrow and scurried to her friends.

"Which means that there's no need to feel ashamed! You can be proud of yourself and you have to know that my family will be in your debts forever," the Queen added and finally the three men were able to smile again.

"Do you mind if I introduce you now? " D.G asked. Her mother looked to the three men, especially paying attention to the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, her eyes were full of tears but then she nodded.

"Of course not my dear. Please tell me the names of those who helped you," she said and then she added,"Ahamo, Az don't you want to join us my loves?" and now father and daughter wandered down to join their family.

D.G went up to the viewer and patted him on the shoulder. "This is Raw. He is, as you can see, a viewer with extraordinary skills. He helped remind me of my past and he saved me from more than one dangerous situation," D.G said and now the Viewer blushed again.

"D.G too kind. Raw not as brave as it seem. But Raw is honored to meet her Majesties," Raw said calmly and bowed again.

"The honor is ours, " Ahamo said and shook the hand of the fuzzy man.

Now D.G went up to the Tin Man and also patted him on the shoulder. "This is the Tin Woodman. We found him standing near a cabin, he was too rusted to take a step forward. After we saved him from his stiffness, he helped me to fight against Longcoats and although he has no heart he showed that he cares for people more than anyone else," she said and the Tin Woodman straightened himself.

"It's nice to meet you," the Queen smiled,"Feel welcome in our palace dear Tin Man." she added looking friendly.

D.G didn' pay attention to her mom because she was too focused on her last companion. Still smiling like the sun, he stood there and said nothing. She coughed and everyone paid attention again. "And last but not least. I want you to meet the Scarecrow, he doesn't have a brain but a big loving heart. Without him, I would be lost now and even though he doesn't want to admit it, he's the smartest guy I know," D.G said happily and the Scarecrow bowed.

Now the Queen stood in silence, her throat feeling dry, her heart aching. But she knew that she had to say something.

"What an honor to meet such a noble and loyal man, feel welcome as well brave Scarecrow," the Queen said choking back her tears. In front of her stood her dear old friends but she couldn't do anything other than treat them like strangers.

After the meeting of the Heroes, the Royal family decided to spread the word of the Witch's death. Resistance fighters had to be informed that Longcoats had to be haunted. The people had the right to hear that there was no need to fear anymore and everything had to be restored and rebuilt again. After a long week of organizing and much work, the situation in the O.Z was almost back to normal again. Now there was a huge ball to be planned and the Royal Family had moved to the Palace in Finaqua.

D.G felt exhausted. The days were stressful and tiring but here friends helped her to remain friendly. She had to act like a real Princess now which meant that she had to hide her tiredness. But when the night had come, she fell into her bed and said goodbye to another day full of Royal affairs.

One night, two nights before the great ball, she couldn't sleep. She was too excited over what would happen and she was too afraid of making a mistake. She hated to wear gowns. She hadn't any idea of table manners and most importantly: She couldn't dance! Even though the Scarecrow had promised to dance with her (Which made her giggle because, his motions were much too gracious for a clumsy Scarecrow) her brain refused from taking a rest. That's why she decided to take a walk. Outside the hallway it was dark. By using some of her magic she conjured a candle and lit it, then she tiptoed through the hallway until she reached the end. At the end was a huge door, she had never noticed before and because she was too curious, she opened the door slowly and went into the room.

Inside it was even darker than in the hallway but yet again, she lit a little candle with her magic. Inside the room wasn't much. Just a few portraits and empty tables. Everything was covered with dust and D.G had to admit it looked spooky. Slowly she roamed through the room, observing every corner. Her heart beating like a drum. Suddenly her gaze fell upon a little book that was lying at one of the tables. It was dusty but D.G's attention was caught. She took the book and stroked the dust off. "The Story of the Tin Man" was engraved in its cover and D.G gasped. Her Tin Man? That was strange, she didn't know that there was a whole book about one of her friends. She had heard that books in the O.Z had been written about important people, like the Emperors of the different Realms, but this wasn't the Royal library and her Tin Man wasn't an Emperor or famous resident of the O.Z. Nevertheless she was interested in the book and so she decided to sneak back into her room so that she could read its content.

Back in her room, she lit an old oil lamp. She wrapped herself up in a blanket, fluffed up her pillow,then she leaned back and began reading. While she was reading it seemed as if the reality was fading away and the character of the Story were coming to life .

_The Story of the Tin Man _

_Once upon a time, many many years ago there lived a young and brave Woodchopper called Wyatt Cain. He was the eldest son of a Woodchopper in Munchkinland. He and his father chopped down trees in the forest and sold the wood for a living until Wyatt's father died and Wyatt had to take care of his lovely old mother and his two younger siblings. When time had come and his siblings were old enough to live on their own and their gracious and beloved mother had died as well, Wyatt Cain decided to work as a woodchopper again. He was an hardworking man, tall and substantial. The women in town, loved him. His short blonde hair and those unforgettable icy blue eyes. But although he was lonely he didn't pay attention to the women in town, because they weren't to his interest. One day the young man was visited by one of the King's servants. He told him that the King was recruiting strong and brave man in OZ for the protection of his only child the princess Ozma. War was coming to the land and the King feared about the life of his family. Wyatt Cain was a loyal man, so he didn't refuse the request of King Pastoria. He was brought to the Emerald City, or the shining city on the hill, where the King and his daughter lived in a glimmering and majestic palace. The King was a kind-hearted and wanted to meet every brave man who willed to protect his daughter. Although the times were dark he had organized a shining ball for his new army. Royals were dancing on the dance floor, the ballroom was shimmering in colorful shades and Wyatt was overwhelmed from the beauty of the festivities. Usually he wasn't a friend of dancing and parties but he was proud the King had invited him: A poor and unimportant woodchopper to this majestic event. For the first hour he only stood in one corner, observing those who were dancing. Suddenly he laid eyes on the little princess Ozma who was dancing with a young man dressed in a Royal uniform. Somebody had told him that the young man was the advisor of the King and that he was one of the smartest guys in the whole Realm. But Cain wasn't interested in the duties of this man, because he was to hypnotized by his shimmering chocolate brown eyes, his curly brown hair and his warm smile. Both whirled around and the little girl squeaked in excitement. No wonder ,the young man was a fantastic dancer, his graceful moving took Wyatt's breath away. Since he was a child, Cain knew that his heart was only beating for other men and it wasn't an anomaly to be gay in OZ , because every one there was joyful and accepting but nevertheless he was too afraid to ask the young man for a dance. The music stopped and the little Princess was now dancing with her father, her previous dance partner, scuffing back to his rightful place next to the throne. Wyatt's heart was beating in his chest and he could feel how his cheeks blushed because they were warm. He stood there so tightly, like he was completely made of Tin and after some time he felt foolish. Too shy to ask this handsome man and so ashamed of himself, He decided to leave the ball. But when he walked down the hallway a voice suddenly called for him. When Cain turned around he believed that his heart was melting away. It was the young man! _

_"You sir, seem like you need a good old dance," he said with the most loveliest voice Cain had ever heard and yet again he smiled with this odd and warm grin. Cain unable to talk, was getting nervous. He had to say something, for he didn't want to lose his chance ._

_"How did you notice?" he whispered after some time and the man next to him giggled. _

_"I observed you standing in the ballroom like a statue made of Tin and I thought to myself, "Why does nobody care to dance with this handsome man?" he said and Cain felt himself blushing again. _

_"Well, ehmm I can't dance so I was happy that nobody asked me and I was getting tired anyway," he said and the man frowned now._

_"Now you're lying my dear sir, your glance shows that you beg to dance! Come I think we both should dance so that you will have some fun," he countered and grabbed Cain's hand. Without any chance to disagree he was pulled into the ballroom again and within a minute he found himself standing in the middle of the dance floor, his hands resting on the hips of his dance partner. To his surprise nobody was staring at them, because it was as normal as breathing to them. The young man smiled and when the next song had started, they were spinning in circles. Oh how gifted this man was! It felt like they were walking on clouds and Cain felt his heart drumming to the beat like a metronome. He never had felt this feeling before but without any doubts he knew that he was falling in love. Without even recognizing the two danced for hours and when the last song had stopped they both had to catch their breath._

_They were the last to leave the ballroom. The young man accompanied Cain to his room in the palace (every soldier had a room to spend the night after the ball.) Wyatt was so dizzy from his dances with this breathtaking guy that he didn't even notice that they were already standing in front of his room. Not until this was he brought back to reality again._

_"It was a really nice night, " the man said and stroked Cain's hand._

_"Yes… it ..really ..was …a ..nice ..night," Wyatt stammered and grasped the door knob. He turned around to enter his room because he couldn't hold the man's gaze. But then he felt a hand touching his shoulder._

_"Wait, I don't even know your name," the man said and his voice sounded disappointed. Cain's heart dropped when he heard tha , he hadn't meant to offend his dancing partner, he was just too nervous. Finally he was able to collect his thoughts and he answered:_

_"I'm sorry I don't want to offend you. My name is Wyatt Cain. I'm a woodchopper from Munchkinland," he said and bowed clumsily which made the man chuckle ._

_"Nice to meet you, brave and talented Woodchopper Wyatt Cain! But you don't have to bow I'm not a Royal. My name is Ambrose. I'm the King's advisor." The man outstretched his hand and Cain smiled in return._

_From that day on, Cain knew that he needed to meet Ambrose again. The next day he and the other soldiers had to leave because the war wasn't avoidable. They fought for months and it seemed as if every dark creature of OZ had dared to leave the fenlands of Quadling Country. The fought and fought and lost many brave men. But then out of a sudden the war was over and the soldiers went back to the Emerald City to celebrate their Victory. The King welcomed them with Pride and a glamorous ball, much bigger than the one before, was held to their honor. Wyatt had survived the war as well and he joined the ball with much more passion than the last time. This time, he was the one who asked Ambrose for a dance. The young man with the chocolate brown eyes, smiled and flung his arms around the neck of the woodchopper when he saw him for the first time after months. They danced a long time, again, getting closer and closer as song by song went by. Cain enjoyed the time with Ambrose on the dance floor. The warm feeling in his heart, the butterflies in his tummy, the fruity smell of the man in his arms. When the ball was over and Ambrose accompanied him to his room again, he knew what to say._

_"Do you want to join me in there?" he asked with sudden bravery in his voice and Ambrose replied his question with the touching of his lips on Cain's. It was a passionate kiss, soft and breathtaking. Slowly they stumbled into Wyatt's room, the woodchopper going backwards while the advisor was still sharing a kiss with him. Without any struggle they fell back on the soft bed and Ambrose began stripping off Cain's shirt. He placed soft kisses on his bare skin which made Cain feel dizzy and electrifying at the same time. He loved the other man, oh how much he loved him. After both had lost their clothes completely they shared a passionate night together and when the sunlight was beaming through the curtains, Ambrose was lying on Cain's chest with a huge smile and eyes closed._

_That had been the second night of their little love story and from that day on their love flourished like a rose in the Royal Gardens. Cain didn't leave Ambrose's side and both did a lot together. One day they made a trip to Wyatt's old cabin and he showed him the place of his birth. Ambrose was fascinated by the little house and soon they began dreaming from a own little home. _

_"We could live here of course, but I thought of building a completely new one. It should be huge and majestic, just like the palace, what do you think?" Cain asked. They were lying on a meadow under a big tree near the cabin. The sun was shining on their faces and he thought that Ambrose was looking even prettier when the sun was lightening his hair._

_"You don't have to do this for me, do you hear? I don't care if we live in an old cabin or a palace. We could even live under the trees like gypsies. As long as we both are together I'm fine!" Ambrose replied and stroked through Wyatt's short blonde hair._

_"But you're used to so much luxury ...And I'm a poor Woodchopper. I'll feel awful if I can't guarantee you a beautiful life in a nice home," Cain sighed after some time._

_"Now stop being silly! I wasn't born in the palace. I'm just the advisor, I love you! I want to live with you, I want to share my life with you. That's why I want to leave the palace and the luxury behind! I don't care for such material things," Ambrose kissed Wyatt's cheek and the both enjoyed the sun for some longer. Then suddenly the Woodchopper rose and walked along the meadow like he was searching for something. The surprised Advisor soon followed him. _

_"I do want to guarantee you a beautiful life no matter what you say and that's why I'm going to build this cabin!" he said when he noticed that Ambrose was standing behind his back. He heard him sighing._

_"If it will make you happy, I won't stop you. But promise me one thing," he said and Cain frowned ._

_"What?" he asked_

_"We can get married after you finished our palace!" the smaller man said with a grin and Cain smiled back. _

_"Of course!" he promised and Ambrose flung his arms around Cain's neck. They whirled around until they got dizzy and both fell to the ground. When they were lying on the warm meadow, Ambrose began humming a lovely melody and shortly afterwards he started singing._

_"My heart is yours love _

_yours alone love .._

_and should you wander there I'll be …_

_For where you go love I will follow. _

_My heart is yours love and yours alone .."_

_It was a beautiful song and Ambrose had a lovely singing voice. Cain felt like floating on air and he couldn't wait to start building their home._

_Weeks passed and Cain started to chop the wood for their house. Ambrose was working at the Palace again and the only saw each other once a week. Wyatt missed his love but he knew that their time apart was worth it. He worked harder than ever and he chopped like never before. Soon they would be together again … He thought._

_But unfortunately neither Cain nor Ambrose knew that someone was watching them, someone with a broken heart, a notion of magic and the urge for revenge. Eilis was a wicked witch full of hatred and evil magic. Many years ago she had been an ordinary farmers girl living near the house of the Cain's ,but since her mother had died at young age and her father was murdered, she had been raised by an old woman called Mombi . Mombi was a wicked witch as well who lived in Gillikin Country and who tried to disempower the King so that she could rule over OZ. She taught the young girl everything about black magic and darkened the heart and the soul of the poor girl. Now she was only filled with hatred. Once, when she had lived on the farm, there was one boy she shared a lots of time with. Wyatt Cain had been his name and blue like the sky were his eyes. They both were best friends and she had fallen in love with him very soon. Even after the witch had moved with her to Gillikin Country she hadn't forgot those beautiful eyes. Now she was back and Wyatt had changed into a strong and handsome man. She still loved him and she had hoped that his feelings for her hadn't changed as well but then she saw him, kissing this .. this freak! The part of her heart that still existed broke and she vowed vengeance. She found out that Cain was building a house for him and his stupid love and since she didn't care for his life or his happiness anymore, she enchanted his axe._

_So when Cain was chopping a tree at his best, anxious to get the new house and Ambrose as his husband as soon as possible , the axe suddenly slipped all at once and cut off his left leg. He never felt such pain before! But there wasn't any doctor in his hometown and the next doctor was miles away, so Cain had to go to a tinsmith and seek for shelter. OZ really was a odd land because although Cain was in horrible pain, he didn't suffer a lot and he didn't care for the loss of his leg. He only knew that it was a great misfortune for he knew that a one legged man couldn't do very well as a Woodchopper. He only thought of Ambrose and their life together and forgot the pain. He asked the Tinsmith about making him a new leg out of Tin and the old man obeyed. The leg worked very well, once he was used to it and even Ambrose relaxed after his first shock ._

_"Do you still love me?" Wyatt asked him while Ambrose was staring at his leg in utter shock. _

_"Of course! This leg doesn't change anything! But you have to be careful!" the advisor said anxiously and kissed him on the forehead._

_And so the Woodchopper continued his working and now he worked even harder, because he knew that there was no time to waste. But also this time, his axe slipped and cut of his right leg. Cain went to the Tinsmith again and begged him to make another leg out of tin and again he obeyed. Walking felt strange now but Cain didn't stop. Faster than he could think the axe cut off his left arm...the Tinsmith replaced it with a Tin arm ... then his right arm... the Tinsmith replaced it with a Tin arm as well..later his head .. OZ was a magical land so it was no difficulty for the Tinsmith to replace his head with a Tin one too. And Cain didn't stop working! He worked harder and harder and he hadn't seen Ambrose in weeks, because he was too focused on his work and he feared he would scare the hell out of his love .. now that he looked more like a robot than a man. But unfortunately that wasn't the end of the cruel Enchantment and so it happened that the axe slipped for the last time and cut right through his body! Cain thought that his end had come but to his excitement the Tinsmith came to help him. He built a whole body made of Tin and fastened his arms, legs and head to it, by means of joints so that he could move. But alas he couldn't replace his heart with a Tin one and soon Wyatt lost his feelings and forgot why he was chopping trees. He spent a lots of time in the woods and chopped without a reason. He was stronger now and he could work the whole day, because he didn't get tiredor need to eat._

_One day, it was raining ... A young man came to his cabin. He didn't remember the guy and he didn't care for him because he didn't have a heart and he was too busy with chopping. The man's face looked worn out and his eyes looked sad._

_"Wyatt? Is that you?" he asked with a croaky voice but the Tin Woodman didn't stop working._

_"Wyatt! What happened to you?" the man asked again. Now the Tin Man paid attention to him._

_"Nothing! I'm fine. I never felt better than now!" he answered with a tinny voice._

_"But you changed a lot! You didn't come to the Palace, nobody has seen you in weeks! I couldn't leave the Palace because of all the work, so I hoped that you would come and look for me!" the young man countered and tears were now filling his eyes. _

_"Please come home with me!" he begged but the Tin Man didn't move._

_"I still love you! You chopped so many trees ...Forget this damn house and let's get married!" he now screamed because his love wasn't listening but it was to no avail .. He still ignored him. Ambrose didn't know what to do so he carefully started singing their song ... In the hope that Cain would remember him._

_"My heart is yours love _

_yours alone love .._

_and should you wander there I'll be …_

_For where you go love I will follow. _

_My heart is yours love and yours alone .."_

_But it didn't help ... Ambrose took a few steps forward. He touched the Tin shoulder of his love, the coldness making him shiver but instead of turning around Cain didn't stop chopping the old damn tree. When he reached back and his axe glistened in the sunlight he didn't even notice that he suddenly hit the young man with the wooden part of the axe, making him fall to the ground. Ambrose whimpered, He was gone. He didn't want to admit it, but he was gone and he couldn't change it. He had to let go! With a broken heart, he rose and turned around for the last time to look at his Tin Man._

_"You don't remember me, I can see that now. But nevertheless you should know that I will always love you!" he whispered, tears streaming down his face again. Then he left and never turned around again._

_Back at the palace, Ambrose locked himself in his room. His heart ached and it was hard to breathe. He never imagined that a broken heart would feel so bad. Cain hadn't paid attention to him, neither had he turned around to look at him . Tears were filling his now swollen eyes and he let himself fall on his bed. He couldn't understand it. How could it happen that Wyatt lost all his love for him? Sure, he was completely made of Tin now, but didn't he live? He was breathing and working so he had to be still human in a way. Or was he only a victim of the magic in OZ? Able to live but unable to feel emotions. He didn't know and he didn't want to think about it anymore. His heart was now empty as well and he only wished for one thing: He wanted to forget. Forget his love, forget his pain, forget everything. The pain in his chest was unbearable and he knew that he couldn't do something against it._

_A week passed and Ambrose was still locked up in his room. He hadn't eaten or drank and the little princess feared that her friend was suffering to death. So she rushed to his room and knocked on the door in the hope that he might want to talk with her. But he refused._

_"Ambrose you have to come out and eat something . I don't want you to die!" she said with a sobbing voice. _

_"I'm sorry doll, but I'm not hungry and I don't wish to leave my room at the moment, but you don't have to be afraid, I won't die, this is OZ and nobody dies in OZ." he yelled through the closed door._

_Nobody dies here, I have seen it with my own two eyes," he whispered to himself._

_"You don;t even want to join me in the garden for some nice blind-man's bluff? I know that it's your favorite game and we always have so much fun," Ozma giggled._

_"Please kid, I don't want to disappoint you, but I would love to be alone for some time," came the response and Ozma left with a sad face and a sniff._

_"Great now I broke the heart of a little girl. Thanks for making me so heartless," Ambrose said to himself . _

_He cursed Cain now, Cursed him for his plans to build them a home. He had told him that he didn'__t need a majestic palace to be happy. He had told him that he only needed their love, but he hadn't listened to him. It frustrated him, it made him angry ... but in the end it made him sad again, because he knew that Cain wasn't to blame. Something mysterious had happened to him … something wicked to be exact, but Ambrose couldn't explain himself what it was._

_Two more days later, it was in the morning someone knocked at the door of the Palace. Ozma was alone, because her father was on a trip to Gilikin Country and Ambrose was still sobbing in his room. Ozma ordered a servant to open the door and to her surprise a young beautiful woman walked in. She had long blonde hair and beautiful green eyes. She wore a long red gown and glistening silver shoes. Ozma clapped her hands in joy and asked the woman to introduce herself._

_"My name is Mystery for my real name is a secret," she said with a warm smile and the eyes of the little girl sparkled in excitement._

_"Why is your name a secret?" she asked._

_"Because I've run away and also because I love games and riddles," the woman answered and Ozma's eyes grew bigger and bigger._

_"You've run away? Why?" she now asked even though she was afraid that the woman would get annoyed with her._

_"You are a sweet young girl, with a lots of wit and many questions. I would love to answer all your questions but it would be nice if I could get a warm meal first. It has been a long journey and I'__m exhausted and hungry." the woman replied and Ozma ordered her servants to prepare a meal for the beautiful, poor woman._

_While Mystery was eating a warm stew, she told the young princess the story of her escape. It was a story full of adventure, mystery and magic and Ozma couldn't stop listening to it. Mystery had been raised by an old woman, because her parents died when Mystery had been a young girl. But the old lady was an evil wicked witch and soon used her to do hard work for her. Mystery didn't want to stay at this terrible house, so she decided to run away. Ozma could understand the young lady and she was glad that she had been able to escape from this evil witch._

_"But now, tell me something about yourself, my gracious princess. How come a young girl like you is all alone in such a huge and dark palace?" Mystery asked gently and stroked the hair of the little princess._

_"Oh, I'm not alone, my servants are here and upstairs is my dad's advisor. He lost his beloved one and now he's suffering. He doesn't want to leave his room and I'm growing desperate," the girl replied._

_"Well, you're a lucky girl, little doll. One day when the old lady was in a good mood she taught me how to heal lovesickness. What do you think, shall I visit your friend and help him with a magic drink?" the woman asked and the young girl jumped from her chair._

_"That would be wonderful! You really would do this for me? Oh Thank you! I bet that Ambrose will be very grateful!" she said in a haste and took the hand of her new friend._

_They arrived at Ambrose's room in less than 2 minutes and Mystery was gasping for air._

_"Oh my .. You're a very hasty girl, huh? So that is the room of your friend?" she asked and the princess nodded._

_"Yes, wait. I'll knock and introduce you," Ozma said and scurried to the big door._

_No reply came. "Of course not," Thought Ozma. Ambrose could be very stubborn and now that someone had broken his heart, he also showed how strong-hearted and sensitive he was._

_"Ambrose, it's me Ozma. Here's someone who might help you. I know that you don't want to come out, but please let this woman in, she says that she has something to fight love sickness," the little girl said, her hands resting on the wooden door._

_To her surprise the Advisor opened the door and for the first time in two weeks she was able to glance upon him. He looked horrible. His hair was greasy, his face was covered with stubble, almost forming a beard. His eyes were red from all the crying and his pale face looked empty. She never had see him like this before. The cheery guy with the lovable grin had died. And so had his love. He didn't care for his memories anymore, he didn't care for love or for happiness. He didn't care that every part of his body felt sick. He wanted a potion to forget life, a cure against his emotions and so he allowed the woman to walk in._

_"So you have something against lovesickness?" he asked the woman when she walking into the dark room._

_"Indeed. I was raised by an old woman who knows something about magic and she taught me to mix potions of every kind. I have a mixture of magical plants that will help you to stop your suffering," she whispered and observed the room in excitement._

_"What's your name again?" Ambrose asked and the woman turned around in a odd way, staring at him as if he said something wrong, but then she smiled again._

_"My name doesn't matter. For you it's Mystery. Ozma my dear, would you please leave us alone for a moment? I want to talk to your friend in private," Mystery said with a sugary voice. Ozma couldn't help herself, the voice sounded so lovely that she had to obey even though she didn't want to leave Ambrose alone._

_"I know that you don't want a mixture against lovesickness. I can see it in your eyes. You want something to forget. But you're too afraid to hurt the feelings of the little girl, right? Life has been mean to you and now you want to escape. Well my friend that isn't very noble and I think you know that it's cowardly but I will help you. Take this: It's a potion which will make you forget. It will solve all your problems. You don't even have to be afraid of the girl. Everything will turn out all right," The woman said when the girl had disappeared, her voice still sounding sugary. Ambrose was feeling uncomfortable. Something about this woman was just wrong. He couldn't decide if it was her eyes or her voice, but he didn't like it. Nevertheless he wanted her help and so he didn't refuse her offer._

_"What do you want in return?" he asked._

_"Nothing .. I can see when people are unhappy. Drink it , that's all I want from you," she replied and handed Ambrose the bottle of potion. Then she left his room and let him alone. She scurried back to Ozma and they two chatted about this and that. _

_Meanwhile, back in Ambrose's room, the advisor was starring at the bottle. Outside it was getting dark and he became more anxious about his decision._

_"Oh come on Ambrose, drink it and everything will be all right again. Don't be a coward!" he said to himself. His brain was always right, he knew that. He couldn't trust his heart anymore. _

_And so he opened the bottle and took a sip ..,The mixture tasted strange and bitter. It had a horrible taste but Ambrose hadn't expected candy. Slowly he swallowed the rest of the mixture and then he let himself fall back on his bed._

_For the first minutes he didn't feel a difference. He expected to feel dizzy or light headed, but nothing happened. Maybe the woman had lied to him and she was nothing else than a confidence trickster. If he hadn't seen magic with his own two eyes (quite too often) , he would have said that it was nothing more than water with herbs._

_But suddenly he felt something ...first it was a light pressure in his right knee, but then it became a testier pressure .. rapidly becoming unbearable. Ambrose gasped for air because he felt like someone was choking him. His skin now felt like it was burning .. He tried to sit up, but his body felt like a lead weight. His head instead felt light and now the dizziness began. Something was totally wrong, he knew it. He could feel it. It was hard to keep one's eyes open and his throat was dry. After some time his muscles contracted. Ambrose wanted to scream in pain but he couldn't . What the hell had he done? This woman had handed him poison! Yeah, that must be the reason, because nothing could feel worse than dying he thought to himself. Suddenly the pain stopped but he still couldn't move. Then he couldn't feel his feet, he tried to sit up again so that he could look what was happening, but his body still refused to obey him . Then his legs began to prickle and after a few seconds he couldn't feel them as well. Now it was over, he thought. Either he was dying or he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. The prickling went on an reached his tummy.. A few seconds later and every bit of his body felt light and as if he didn't exist anymore. When the prickling reached his arms and hands, Ambrose dared to look, for he was able to move his head. What he saw was horrifying. Oh, how much he hoped that he had lost his mind because of the mixtur . What he saw could only be a hallucination. His hands weren't normal hands anymore and his arms had lost their usual shape. They weren't made of flesh anymore but made of straw! Yellow and light and inhuman! He couldn't believe it! Now he didn't question the magic of the young woman anymore. But he questioned his mental state. But then he also stopped thinking, his head felt light as well now and his vision was blurry. What was thinking? Could he think? Was he a he? And who was he? What was he? And what was he doing? A last prickling, a strange feeling that rushed through his now inhuman body and then everything faded into black._

_The next day when Ozma made her way to Ambrose room. She was shocked to find it empty. The young advisor was gone! He had left without saying goodbye! Ozma was sad and she didn't notice that tears were stroking down her face. How could he do this to her? They both had been friends since she could remember and now he was gone and Ozma didn't know where to find him. Disappointed and hurt, she scurried back to her room and waited for her father to come home . And deep in her heart she hoped that Ambrose hadn't left forever_

_The old Munchkin man was surprised to see such a beautiful young lady carrying such a ugly and tattered Scarecrow. Slowly the precious thing walked down the street and headed to his farm. _

_"My dear old man, would you like to have a Scarecrow? I found this stupid thing lying on my way and when I saw your farm I thought that you might want to have it," the young Lady said with a smile and a voice like honey. The man couldn't resist even though he didn't need a Scarecrow, for his corn was safe from animals. He accepted the gift from this lovely creature._

_"Of course, I could use it! Thank you Milady!" he stammered and bowed firmly. The woman smiled and put the ugly Scarecrow down._

_"I thank you for taking it. I would love to spend more time here, but I have to leave so that I'll reach Gilikin Country in time," she said and then she left ._

_The old farmer hung the Scarecrow up on a pole in his field and then left for dinner._

_Eilis made her way, back to the old witch Mombi for their next plan was to disempower the King. But before she headed to Gilikin, she made a stop at an old cabin in the woods. Deep down in the forest was standing a tinny figure, unable to move or to speak. The Tin Man was holding an axe and he was standing in front of a tree. The rain had rusted his joints and now he was as useless as a Tin Can. Eilis smiled while she was stroking over the Tin shoulders of the man ... she looked him deep in the eyes. They were hollow, but they looked sad. That made her laugh even more and with Satisfaction in her heart she left the woods. On her way back to Gilikin she celebrated her triumph._

_"It would have been too easy just to punish Wyatt for his actions. Transforming him in a Tin Man and his love into a stupid Scarecrow was just brilliant!" she laughed and the hatred in her voice made the flowers next to the Brickroad shiver in fear._

_Years past without any change. The Tin Man stood in the woods unable to move or to scream for help and the Scarecrow hung at the pole in the cornfield of the old munchkin. Even though the Scarecrow was able to speak, he didn't know what words he should form with his painted mouth._

_"That's the disadvantage of not having any brains," he thought to himself while the sun was shining on his face and the wind blew through the fresh corn._

_While they hadn't changed a bit, the world around them did. OZ became a place of fear after the disempowerment of King Pastoria, through the hand of Mombi. Although the land received a new emperor called the Wizard, the people were unhappy for the Wizard wasn't a good ruler. Nobody knew that he was just a simple man from Kansas who had no idea of ruling a country. He feared the Wicked Witches of the West and East who endeavored to subdue the country and because they hadn't anything to do with Mombi. The old woman refused to help the Wizard. The little princess as her prisoner was all she had ever wanted. So the Wizard locked himself in his Emerald Palace for many years, waiting for someone brave to help him. OZ suffered for many many years until a young girl from Kansas called Dorothy Gale came through a storm and saved the Country with the help of her companions : A Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion. _

_For the first time in annuals both were reunited again, but neither the Tin Man nor the Scarecrow could remember each other. After the replacement of the old Wizard, with Queen Ozma (whom they had freed from her prison) they and Dorothy experienced many adventures together and had a lots of fun, but their memories didn't come back . And again OZ changed. In the past, magic had been everywhere in the land, saving the people from the tricks of time but now this magic was rare and people started aging. So did Ozma and so did Dorothy. The years passed and the throne was given to the heirs of Ozma who died after many years of ruling When Dorothy died, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow felt terrible pain in their chests but both ignored their emotions because they thought that they couldn't feel. Although the magic around them was fading away and only the rulers of the country were able to use the rest time couldn't harm them because their curse made them immortal._

_One day, when the Cowardly Lion had died as well, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man decided to leave the Emerald City for they felt lonely in the huge halls. _

_Many years past again and the two had taken their old places, when they heard of the kidnapping of the young Princess called Lavender. Of course they came to her rescue and of course they became friends with the little girl, but as soon as she was too old to spend time with her old friends, they left again to live on their own._

_Nobody has seen them in annuals and while their absence OZ changed a lot and is now called the O.Z. I miss my friends with all my heart and I wonder if they will ever return to me. Their story was imparted from generation to generation and I want my children to know their story as well. So I decided to write it down. Nobody should forget this story of revenge, magic and love for, it is in all of us._

_To my friends, in love and admiration. _

_Lavender Eyes, Queen of the O.Z_

D.G was shocked. Never before she had read a story like this. Full of romance, hatred, magic and wickedness. But the most touching, while at the same time horrifying thing ,was that this story wasn't a fairytale or something fictional .. It was true! It had happened! Many thoughts were rushing through the mind of the princess, she was so touched by the love of her friends while the revenge of the Witch made her angry. She had to do something ... She had to tell them their past. Show them who they had been ...who they still were. Maybe there was a Cure ... maybe she and her mother and Azkadellia could use their magic to help them. She couldn't sleep now, she wanted to help them. But first she had to bring back the book. Although it seemed that nobody had visited the secret room in years, she had the strange feeling that someone would miss it there.

With bare feet, she tiptoed down the corridor, this time she didn't light a candle, for it was early in the morning and everyone was fast asleep. It was hard to find the room in the dark, but she didn't want to risk someone finding her sneaking around. That wasn't "princess like." When she reached the room, she gently opened the door and walked in without making a noise. She brought the book back to its rightful place then she turned around to leave again ….and ran into her mother who was standing in the door frame.

"Would you mind explaining to your mother what a young lady like you is doing here at this late hour?" Lavender Eyes asked with a soft, but angry voice.

"Eh...Mom..I didn't expect you to..How long have you been following me?" D.G asked in return, her heart beating like crazy.

"That doesn't matter at the moment, my dear. More importantly what are you doing here?" her mother replied, taking soft steps forward.

" I.. I," D.G stammered, "Is it true? Did this really happened to the Tin Man and the Scarecrow?" she finally asked. Her mother froze and looked to the ground. Minutes later, for D.G it seemed as if they hadn't spoke in days, her mother answered with grief in her voice.

"Yes, my dear angel. It really happened. My mother told me their story and her mother had told her the story, when she was a little girl. Princess Ozma is your great-grandmother and unfortunately she found out the truth about her beloved friend much too late. She was old and she hadn't enough strength to help him. And when he was gone, nobody else from our family was able to help him for years, then when they had saved me, my mother tried but failed," she said.

"But why can't we try to help them?" D.G asked in excitement.

"I'm afraid that it's not as easy as you may think. The curse is very powerful! My mother wasn't even able to bring back their memories. We could try but I'm not sure if we will succeed," her mother answered in a whisper.

"Trying doesn't harm anyone," D.G said and touched the shoulder of her mother. Tears were filling her eyes and D.G felt sorry for her.

"It doesn't hurt, but a failure can be very disappointing you know,"she sobbed.

"That may sound hard, but that's life Mom. We should try it and when it doesn't work, we will try harder and if we don´t find a solution we have to let them go. It's not your obligation to help them even though you want them to be happy with all of your heart," her daughter answered.

"I'm so proud that you became such a intelligent and caring young lady," Lavender eyes said in return and both decided to adjourn their plans for the next day. It was late and both needed a rest.

The next day, they gathered Azkadellia, Raw, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow around them and told them the happenings of the last night.

All four listen in excitement and with all of their attention, but when they started to talk about the Story of the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman shared a confused look.

"And what you say is true?" the Tin Man asked scratching his head.

"I know that all this is very strange and confusing for you, and I don´t blame you for the Curse deleted all your memories, but you have to believe us. It is true!" D.G said but that didn't change the confusion of her two friends.

"I believe you," Azkadellia said after some time and Raw nodded as well.

"Is only weak .. .but there is connection between you two," the viewer said.

"Maybe they are right and we should let them try. Do you remember what the Queen's mother once told us? Exactly the same! So there must be something true about it. "the Scarecrow said after the words of the viewer, "I think a try won't harm us, do you agree?" he asked the Tin Man.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure.. We have been friends for a very long time now, but after some time together we part again..I don't think that we both were in love," the Woodman frowned with his tin eyebrows.

"If it's true what they say, it wasn´t exactly you who fell in love with me.. well part of me.. I don't know, it's complicated. But I really want to believe that it's true. Maybe it really is your heart that will change things," The Scarecrow replied with a small smile. He looked into the eyes of the Tin Man for a long time. Hoping that he might change the mind of the heartless person. He didn't know much and he couldn't feel but there was something inside of him that longed for an answer. After some time the Tin Woodman finally said something,

"O.K let's try it!" the Tin Man yelled triumphantly and everyone around him giggled with joy.

" But wait, how will you do it?" The Scarecrow asked tensely.

"We thought that we try a commemorative spell first, to bring back your memories. And then we thought of a shape shifting spell, the one our tutor once taught D.G and Azkadellia. We hope that it will work, but I can't guarantee it. You have to know that this curse is really strong and it possesses you for such a long time now," the Queen answered sadly, But the Scarecrow patted her on the back and smiled.

"Don't worry your Majesty, it's not your fault. Please try it and if it doesn't work we will see what the future brings. Maybe we will find another solution, maybe not. I don't have a brain but I won't give up hoping for a miracle," he said.

"And I don´t have a heart but trust in your actions with all my Tin," the Tin Woodman added.

"Then let us begin," D.G interrupted the emotional moment and her mother and sister agreed. They built a circle around their two friends and closed it with their hands. They looked to the ground and began murmuring. D.G didn't know why, but all the spells she once had learned came back to her. She only had to hold the hands of her sister and there they were. It was a strange but satisfying and beautiful feeling. All the magic rushing through her whole body, the warmth, the serenity. Softly she whispered the commemorative spell, which Tutor had taught her: _vis memoriae revinire ad nostrum auda... vis memoria revinire ad nostrum auda, _she repeated and repeated, then a light began to shine and she smiled. Her mother gave them the sign to switch to the shape shifting spell and so they did: _anicula figura apparero proporro …anicula figura apparero proporro_, she screamed and the light intensified. Excitement covered her face as she saw the light engulfing her friends..This had to be the moment, she could feel it. How many times had she seen movies ending like this? They would be humans again and in love and there would be an: They lived happily ever after. She could hear herself sighing when her friends had disappeared completely. Now they had to wait. It would only be a second more and then… THEN!

The light disappeared and D.G held her breath, for the first few seconds she didn't dare look. She was too excited, her tummy felt like butterflies were celebrating a big party. But then she opened her eyes …. And her smile dropped in disappointment. In front of them stood the Scarecrow and the Tin Man looking the same, with a confused look and a sign of disappointment.

"It didn't work," the Tin Man said, and, although he had no heart his voice sounded sad.

"That's what I feared .. I'm so sorry," Lavender Eyes said and started crying. She let herself sink to the ground for the magic had exhausted her.

"Mother," D.G sobbed, " Please don't cry we will find a solution," she added and stroked her mother's back.

"Don't be too harsh on yourself," the Viewer whispered. He had been very calm during the whole act ,now he felt deep emotions, his cue to help.

"I think Raw is right, we should try it another day. You should rest your majesty. It's not your duty to help us. Please we don't want to jeopardize your health," the Scarecrow said, wobbling closer to the sobbing Queen. Although it hurt her even more that she couldn't help them, she nodded and the all parted again.  
D. G, her mother and Azkadellia had to go to the seamstress because their dresses for the big ball night weren't finished yet and the Scarecrow excused himself a few minutes later. He wanted to go to the Library and do some important stuff. The Tin Man always thought that the wobbly man couldn't read so he was surprised to find him hanging over a bunch of books when he walked by the Library some time later.

Hours past and the friends didn't meet each other for the rest of the day. When the night was over and the early morning had started to begin the Tin Woodman heard somebody walking down the hall to his room. It had to be someone who didn't need to sleep as well, or who couldn't sleep, because it was very early in the morning. Quietly he harked and waited for the person to disappear but instead of that he heard somebody knocking at his door. He opened it and looked into a pair of painted eyes.

"Would you please follow me, I would like to talk to you, but it has to be outside." the Scarecrow whispered and although he was confused, the Tin Man followed him.

The man of Straw guided him to the gardens of Finaqua and then a bit further to the great gazebo, where he could already see the big lake. At the Edge he stopped and pointed to a little boat.

"I want you to join me in there … please, " he now said a bit louder, never stopping eye contact.

"Are you sure that this thing is safe for us? I mean, did you ever see a swimming Scarecrow? Besides, if I get wet, my joints will rust again," the Tin Woodman looked at the little boat in confusion. It was swaying softly and the Tin Woodman needn't prove he was seasick .

"I want to talk to you in private and it's such a lovely morning, please, I promise you that we won't fall into the water," the Scarecrow begged. His painted eyes were full of hope and despair at the same time. He looked so helpless and if the Tin Man didn't know that he hadn't a heart, he would have said that he was touched.

"All right, I trust in your guarantee, although I have an uncomfortable feeling,"the Tin Woodman said.

Within a minute they pushed the little boat into the water and paddled to the middle of the lake. It was so serene on the water. The wind, softly blowing through the leaves of the trees surrounding the lake. Both enjoyed the calmness for some time, but then suddenly the Scarecrow sighed and broke the silence.

"Ehmm, First off all: Thank you for your trust .. But ehmm, Now I have to confess something. I didn't ask you to join me because I want to talk to you.. ehm, I mean .. I want to talk to you but there also is something else," the man of Straw said sounding a bit embarrassed. The Tin Man frowned and gulped.

"And would you mind to bring me into the loop?" he asked and the Scarecrow smiled brightly with his painted mouth.

"I still can't forget what D.G told us. Their magic maybe failed but I did some reading and found out that this lake here is full of powerful magic. And I thought that maybe, if we drink a bit of the water or jump. I don't know maybe it will work," the Scarecrow explained.

"Or we will drown," the Tin Man whispered but luckily his companion didn't hear him.

"You really want to know if we both had been a couple in the past, huh?" Why is it so important to you?" he asked instead.

"I don't know. I always feel so empty. I mean, I'm not to blame, for I am only stuffed with straw but now knowing that there could be something life changing, a meaning for life, that makes me curious. And wouldn't you like to have a real heart? To be made of flesh? Have you ever dreamt to have one, a real one, how it could be that you were an human being. Isn't that interesting enough?" the man next to him answered.

Both shared a thoughtful look. His little speech had made the Tin Man curious. What he had said was true .. such a chance was rare ..and though he couldn't trust in it he longed for a change ... longed for answers. So without paying attention to the consequences he nodded.

" O.K you're right again. I can't contradict you. What's your plan now? Drinking or Jumping?" he asked.

"Normally I would be for drinking because that is much safer for a guy like me, but there are particular rules, so I'm for jumping," the Scarecrow sighed. "But you don't have to jump first of course! I don't want to put you in danger! I'll do it, then we will see what happens. If I die .. well, I think it is worth it," he added and the eyes of the Tin Man widened, but he didn't show any further affection.

"Aren't you afraid that your body parts are going to part because of all the water?" he asked instead .

" Sure I'm afraid, but as long as we don't try, we won't get an answer, so wish me luck," the Scarecrow answered and stood up. The boat wobbled the same as the Scarecrow, it was hard for him to stay balanced, but that didn't matter anyway because a few seconds later, he jumped into the cool water and disappeared. For a long time, the Tin Man saw nothing. No Scarecrow, no human, there weren't even air bubbles on the surface of the lake. He got nervous but forced himself to stay calm. Then he saw something. The Scarecrow was still in his old shape but now he could see fear on his painted face and he seemed like he was begging for his life, of course he couldn't swim and now he needed help . He sunk into the water but appeared on the surface again, he screamed and then he sunk into the water again. The Tin Man had to help him, he could hear his friend gasping for air. There was no time to waste. He paddled to the Scarecrow, but feared to touch the water, he couldn't allow his joints to rust .. There was no oil can and he didn't want to spend the rest of his endless life stuck in a lake. But then the Scarecrow went unconscious (The Tin Man wondered that this was even possible) and so it happened that something in his body began to click .. It was like someone had flipped a switch. Feelings came up, they streamed through his empty body and then he felt warmth .. Real warmth! His brain began working, he didn't think about his joints anymore, instead he grabbed the hand of his friend. With all his strength he pulled him into the boat and laid him on the floor. The Scarecrow had his eyes closed and he didn't breathe ..The Tin Man shivered .. Something was going on .. He suddenly could feel and what he felt was sadness and fear! He breathed rapidly, his hands shaking ..Warmth and fear wrapping around him …But what could he do? What could he do to help his love? Suddenly he felt something wet in his face. Was it water? The Tin Man stroked over his cheek and realized what it was. He was crying! He, the heartless Tin Man, was crying .. But for whom? The Scarecrow? No! For someone else, someone from his past .. Yes, his past! And there it was, first very foggy but then clear and real .

"Ambrose!" he yelled ... "Oh my God Ambrose, don't leave me! You have to breathe ..my love you have to breathe!" he added and tried to revive him.

"I remember now! Can you hear me? I remember everything! I love you! Oh, Ambrose please don't die, " he sobbed, tears still running down his face. His memories were back and so were his feelings. He still was a Tin Man without a heart, but something in his body ached and he knew that he was crying real, salty tears. But his love didn't move, didn't breathe or open his eyes .. The Tin Man was helpless, the only thing that came into his mind was an old long forgotten song. First it was only a whisper but then he softly started singing.

_You're the song that is my heart_

_And it echoes deep and true _

_But if time should take me far _

_I'll sing til I…. find ….you_

Then he stopped for the pain in his chest was too unbearable, his love still didn't move and he gave up hope. While stroking his tears away, he leaned forward as best as he could .. and then he pressed his tinny lips on those of the Scarecrow. Then he closed his eyes. He didn't want to part, he wanted to stay in this position forever. The cotton like skin of the Scarecrow was wet but still warm and he smelt like fresh corn ..It was a wonderful feeling to be near him .. A long time passed and nothing changed until the Tin Man suddenly heard a silent noise .. Then he felt his body heating up. For a short moment he believed that he was burning, so he didn't dare open his eyes. .Maybe he was dying too. Then there was a light, soo bright that he could see it through his closed Tin Eyes. But as soon as the light had appeared it disappeared again and the warmth left as well. The Tin Man couldn't help himself but he felt different when the light was gone. He felt lighter and better. Then the noise became louder and he could feel the mouth of the Scarecrow moving! It .. moved .. Was he alive? He didn't open his eyes .. he focused on the noise which became a singing voice.

_My heart is yours love , yours alone love and it the darkness you're my light_

_For in this world love there's no other _

_My heart is yours love and yours alone_

_I am yours love and yours alone._

It was the voice of the Scarecrow, not like it had been before, now it was much softer, but it was him. And now the Tin Man dared to open his eyes. First he blinked but then he stared into a pair of opened eyes. No painted eyes. Dark Brown ones! He lifted himself up and observed the guy in front of him .. It was him again .. It was Ambrose. This soft face, pale but full of life. Those adorable big brown eyes. His crooked soft brown curls and this breathtaking smile. His mouth fell open when he felt soft hands touching his face.

"Hello Wyatt Cain .. Nice to meet you," he whispered with his soft voice and he could feel a shiver running down his spine. He grabbed for the hands of his love and when he laid eyes on his hands he froze. They were made of flesh! Which meant that he had to be made of flesh as well. He touched his tummy and noticed that he was wearing his old blue shirt again, then he touched his head and felt that short blonde hair of his. Then he stared into the water and observed his reflection and to his astonishment, he really was a human again. And then he heard it, softly beating in his chest, his heart … He wasn't heartless anymore .. He gulped and looked to Ambrose again. The tears came back and he fell around his neck, kissing it passionately.

"You're back .. we are back!" he sobbed. "This witch betrayed us.. she had no right to do this .. How could she dare to curse us?.. But now we're back! It was my fault that you had to suffer. I shouldn't have left you. I'm so sorry. I was mindless, my heart misguided me, Oh. Ambrose can you forgive me? " he sobbed. Ambrose patted him on the head and cried as well, they were tears of joy.

"Of course I forgive you, for it wasn't your fault. It was hers! She was the one without a heart. She didn't even need to be a Tin Girl to be heartless. She stole you from me, I missed you so much, she broke my heart and all I wanted was to forget. But now she's dead and we are still alive, so we shouldn't spend time regretting things .. we should enjoy our life from now on. " he whispered back and Cain looked at him again .

"But how did we break the spell?" he suddenly asked .

"I guess we found the most powerful magic of all time, " Ambrose answered and grinned.

"True loves kiss," he added and leaned forward. He kissed Cain on the lips and closed his eyes. Finally they were together again and nobody would ever part them.

"I never considered that, but I guess you're right. When I saw you lying on the ground, dead to the world, something in my chest started working again .. Something changed, and I suddenly realized that I once loved you. My memories and my heart returned. But now I ask you my dear: would you like to paddle home with me so that we can spread the good news? I heard that there will be a ball tonight and I remember that my fiancée was a very skilled dancer," Cain asked when they took their breath. Ambrose's eyes widened.

" You mean?" he asked in excitement.

" Only if you still want me, " the Ex- Woodman answered with a smile on his lips.

" Of course .. You only have to ask me properly!" the Ex-advisor giggled.

So Cain tried to knelt down in the little boat, he took Ambrose's hands and said.

" Ambrose Aloysious Johnson. I think deep down in my heart, even if it hasn't existed for a very long time. I've always loved you and I still love you. You're my heart and you will be forever and I'm your heart no matter what will be and now I ask you, Will you marry me?"

"I will," Ambrose said and they shared another passionate kiss, while the sun started to set.

D.G scurried through the halls of the palace. She wore a beautiful long red gown and her hair was braided, hanging down her shoulder. On the top of her head rested a little tiara and her skin glimmered. Even though she looked stunning she felt uncomfortable and aside from that, she was anxious because the Tin Man and Scarecrow had disappeared and nobody had observed their disappearance. D.G feared that both had left after their attempts to help them had failed. Maybe they were disappointed, maybe they felt lost and had returned to their old homes again. D.G had no idea, and unfortunately she hadn't any time either. Her mother had called for her, because it was time to inaugurate the ball. And then her fear of the ball came back. She still didn't know how to act: Did she have to wave her hand first and then smile, or the other way round? Was she allowed to speak to everyone? Everything in her head was whirling and she felt dizzy, but without any time to disagree, her mother pulled her into the great ballroom. The sight was breathtaking: The ballroom glistened and was filled with joy. Many colors combined with light, brightened the room and made it look comfy. There was food covering many tables, a chandelier glimmered at the ceiling and the throne of her mother looked even more majestic after its sixth polish. But D.G couldn't pay much attention to the room itself for she was too distracted by the people. There were MANY people, most of them looked like they were Royal, snobby and rich, uptight and arrogant. The women wore long gowns like herself with jewelry and extraordinary accessories. The men wore uniforms or tight suits, some of the elderly were holding monocles (D.G couldn´t resist giggling because it reminded her too much of one of those High Society movies) Many of the young people were dancing at the dance floor, these people looked more friendly than those who were standing around, chatting with other people, or observing the other Royals. One of the elder men was talking to her mother and finally D.G was able to take a step forward. Of course the other people had to turn around and murmur after they had laid an eye on her. And within a second this uncomfortable feeling was back. She tried to ignore the glances, but it was hard to avoid them.

"D.G my angel! Come here, I want you to meet my old friend Lieutenant Tilley," her mother gently waved her hand and laid it on D.G´s shoulder.

"It is my pleasure to meet you Lieutenant Tilley, " D.G curtsied like her mother had told her and then she smiled softly.

"The pleasure is mine your majesty," the Lieutenant answered with a bow, he took D.G's hand and kissed it. D.G shivered lightly because she wasn't used to old men, kissing her hands but she tried to hide her anxiety.

"My dear old friend, what can you tell me from the Western Territories?" her mother changed the subject when she saw that D.G was unable to cope with the man. The young princess observed the ballroom again. Her mind was too focused on her missing friends. Azkadellia didn't seem to feel any better, for she was standing in another corner, trying to avoid anyones glance. Her father Ahamo was standing near her mother, but didn't say a word either. It seemed like her mother wore the pants in the family. Suddenly, she saw Raw standing at one of the tables and she was pleased to see a familiar face. Slowly. and most of all silently. she tiptoed to the viewer.

" Psst .. Hello Raw," she tapped on his back in the hoped he wouldn't be too shocked. To her luck the viewer only flinched a bit and turned around quickly.

"Good evening princess, are you O.K?" Raw asked.

"I'm fine Raw .. and how are you doing ? " D.G answered with a grin. She enjoyed the simple conversation with her friend.

"Raw is happy, wants to go back to his people .. But afraid that D.G might be angry," he whispered and stared to the ground.

"But Raw, why should I be mad at you? Of course you can go back to your people .. on the contrary, I'm happy for you!" she answered and patted him on the back.

"Raw feels that D.G upset," the viewer replied with a frown.

"Oh, that .. Yeah, but that's not because of you .. I mean, I really care for you and I bet that I will be sad, but I don't begrudge you your happiness .. It's because of the Tin Man and the Scarecrow .. I wonder why they left." the young princess said and laid her eyes on the dance floor again. Her eyes were full of sorrow and the Viewer could feel that she was hurt.

"We tried to help them so hard and now," she sighed.

Suddenly a bunch of people stopped dancing and almost everyone in the ballroom stopped talking. The doors of the room were open and two men walked in. D.G couldn't see them, but she could hear the crowd murmur:

"Look they're holding hands," an old lady said mockingly.

"And those clothes, they look like they are from another century," another old woman cackled.

Then she heard her mother talking to the two men and suddenly there was a Bampf… The people who stood around the Queen started screaming and she could see her father scurrying to his wife. Now D.G started to push the people away so that she could see her mother. She saw that she had fainted and now she was lying on the ground her eyes closed. The two men shared a glance of shock and one of them knelt down to hold her hand.

"Well, we didn't expect such a reaction .. Your dear mother seemed to be very touched," he said and looked with his chocolate brown eyes to D.G .. Her mouth stood open, she hadn't expected such a reaction as well. Now the other man spoke,

"We should have waited until she sat down," he mumbled.

Now her father turned around and observed the man in anger. It didn't help to change the faces of both the men, they were pale and both looked anxious.

"Who are you by the way and what did you told my dear wife?" Ahamo asked.

"Oh, we know your wife and I guess that you know us as well, but you knew us under different circumstances or let me say it differently .. You knew us when we had another appearance, " the man with the blonde hair said. And now everyone frowned in confusion.

"Ehmm, I think we should bring your wife into her chamber and then we would like to talk to you, your two daughters and the viewer Raw in private please .. I bet that one of your servants will be able to observe the festivities until we're back, " the man with the brown hair added and Ahamo nodded. He didn't like to talk to some strangers without any guards but he knew that his wife needed a rest now. And so they all escorted Lavender Eyes to her chamber and there they sat down on a sofa. Towards them, the two strangers fell onto a chair. D.G couldn't help herself, they looked familiar.

"First we want to apologize for the current situation. We didn't meant to harm the Queen, we only wanted to surprise her," the man with the brown hair said.

"We forgive you. But would you please introduce yourself now?" Ahamo asked as D.G and the rest got anxious.

"As long as you won't faint as well, we will," the man with the blonde hair said jokingly.

"My name is Wyatt Cain and this is my fiancée Ambrose Johnson, but I guess you only know us as Tin Man and Scarecrow," Wyatt added .

Minutes passed in silence .. Nobody fainted (which was good) but nobody was able to speak. D.G felt like a wave of happiness and joy had caught her and now she drowned in her emotions. And she was confused, had their magic succeeded? Did it only need some time to function? Or was there something else that helped them to become their old selves again? She had no answer to her questions and she didn´t dare ask. The only thing she knew, was that she was happy for them. They looked exactly the way she had imagined them. Suddenly her Mom opened her eyes and whispered something.

"How.. were .. you ..able to ..break the spell?" she asked softly and Ambrose grabbed her hand.

"You should rest your Majesty," he said and stroked her palm.

"No, I exaggerated! I insist to know how you broke the spell. I'm so happy for you and now I want a appropriate answer!" she rose from her bed and looked at the two men.

"O.K just as you wish, your Majesty. We were on the lake and I jumped into the water. I thought that the magic of the lake could help us. But of course I started drowning. I mean did you ever see a swimming Scarecrow? And our dear Tin Man here, saved me ..We can't say why, but suddenly all his emotions came back and then something very simple did the rest. " Ambrose answered with a smile.

"What?" Azkadellia asked.

"Three words: True loves kiss," Cain answered.

"Magic as old as time, " Lavender Eyes whispered and started laughing .. Everyone was surprised to see the Queen laughing with joy and all her heart, but soon they joined her.

"The answer was so simple and we didn't see it! Oh my God! You can't imagine how excited I am," Lavender said after she stopped laughing.

"Well we can see that my dear," Ahamo replied and softly kissed her on the forehead.

"And now let me observe you!" the Queen said to her two friends. First she hugged both and then she took a closer look at them.

"I always imagined you would look so friendly and kind. But I never imagined you to look so … handsome, " she snickered. D.G and Az giggled.

"Whoa, my dear, I thought that I'm your Prince Handsome?" Ahamo asked. The Queen fell around his neck.

"Of course, you are silly!" she said and softly kissed his nose.

"I'm so glad that you broke the spell. Someday you have to tell us the whole story in every single detail," D.G hugged both of her friends and Ambrose nodded.

"What about tomorrow at breakfast?" he asked and the princess smiled.

"So, you want to stay?"she asked back, her eyes sparkling.

"Until we find a new home and only if you want us to stay." Cain answered.

"Of course!" D.G yelled and everyone had to laugh again (for it was too adorable)

"You can stay as long as you want, but for now I want to invite you to our ball," the Queen added .

"It would be our pleasure, " Cain and Ambrose said simultaneously.

And so they went back to the ballroom, where the guests were waiting anxiously. Cain and Ambrose were holding hands again and the murmur started. But when the Queen walked into the room everyone stopped talking. She graciously walked to her throne and started a speech.

"My dear guests, I have to excuse my previous manners. I was so surprised to see my dear old friends Mr. Cain and Mr. Johnson here because I thought they were dead! I hope that our absence didn't offend you and I hope that you still feel like celebrating the return of my daughter. I ask you to treat my friends, kindly for they have never harmed any of you. And though OZ has changed a lot, I want you to treat them equally as well. Their love is no crime and nothing abnormal so please stop murmuring. If you want to rail about someone make jokes of me and my dress, but not of my friends, " the Queen said with pride. The people in the room, were silent and stared at the Queen with eyes widened.

"And now, please have fun again. May we all dance until the night is over, " Lavender Eyes said to the surprise of her two daughters, she clapped and the orchestra started playing again. The people clapped with joy and jubilation.

"Thank you," Ambrose said to the Queen as she walked back to her family.

" I have to thank you," she answered and Ambrose smiled at her. Then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, so he turned around.

" May I have this dance?" Cain bowed in front of him, took his hand and kissed it. The ex-Advisor giggled.

" I lead, you follow," he answered and both headed to the dance floor.

The people watched them, as Cain put his hand gently on Ambrose's hip. The orchestra played a slow song. Ambrose came closer, he could feel Wyatt's breath on his face. It was warm and made him feel dizzy. Softly they started moving their feet to the beat of the music. They completely lost themselves in the music. They felt warmth floating through their bodies. Wyatt remembered his first dance with Ambrose. He felt the same emotions, the same joy. The warm feeling in his heart, the butterflies in his tummy, the fruity smell of the man in his arms. From now on, he would spend his whole life with Ambrose. They would marry and then they would live happily ever after. He looked into the sparkling chocolate brown eyes of Ambrose and kissed him. They closed their eyes and forgot the world around them. "Never parting, never lonely, never heartless again," Cain thought and tickled Ambrose with the tip of his tongue. They stayed in this position for a long time, without caring what all the others thought. For them life was perfect. Silently Ambrose started humming their song and this time Cain joined him.

_My heart is yours love , yours alone love and it the darkness you're my light_

_For in this world love there´s no other _

_My heart is yours love and yours alone_

_I am yours love and yours alone ._

**The End **

I hope you enjoyed my story. Thank you for reading it! Please tell me what you think about it . You can tell me if I should change something or you can tell me if you found a spelling mistake or something else . Please let me know ..Reviews would be nice.


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